Candle-holder.



E. P. LEHMANN.

CANDLE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1905.

898,660, Patented Sept. 15,1908.

ERNST PAUL LEI-IMANN, OF BRANDENBURG, GERMANY.

CANDLE-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

Application filed March 18, 1905. Serial No. 250,879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNST PAUL LEH- MANN, a subject to the King of Prussia, and resident of No. 6 Plauerstrasse, Brandenburg-on-the-I-Iavel, in the Kingdom of Prus-.

sia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Candle- I-Iolders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in candle-holders of that kind, in which the candle is maintained in a vertical upright position and prevented from shifting, by the aid of any suitable clamping device engaging the candle at one point, automatically adapting itself to the varying diameter of candles of any size, and by a suitable support for the foot of the candle, cooperating with the clamping device in such a manner, that the candle-foot, of any diameter, will be prevented from shifting out of its central position, so as to maintain the candle in a steady vertical position.

From other candle-holders of the kind referred to, as, for instance, that shown in German patent 84377 of my own invention, the candle-holder which forms the object of my present invention differs in the means for supporting the candle-foot. In such candleholders the edge of the candle-foot is supported by semi-circular surfaces corresponding to the contour of the candle and formed by clamping arms arranged in a tapering downward position. According to my present invention, the bearing or supporting means for the edge of the candle-foot consists in a plurality of supporting edges arranged in a tapering downward position, each of said supporting edges having a single point of contact with the supported edge of the candle-foot. The advantage thereby obtained is, that the supporting points, formed by the edges of sheet-metal or by wires employed in the construction of the candle-holder, leave between them open spaces or gaps through which the stearin, tallow, waX or other material of the candle, running down from the candle-shank, may freely escape down to the cup or base of the candle-holder, without choking the parts which grasp and hold the candle. And a further improve ment offered by this novel construction consists in that the supporting edges of the can-- dle-holder have a positive engagement upon the edge of the candle-foot by cutting,

though very slightly, into the soft material of the candle, while, with the supporting surfaces hitherto employed, the said semi-circular surfaces only carry the candle-foot, without entirely preventing it from shifting.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention to make the same perfectly understood.

Figure 1 is a side-elevation of a candleholder constructed according to one modification of my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-section drawn along the line AB of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side-elevation of a candle-holder constructed according to another modification of this invention; Fig. 4 is an end-elevae tion of the candle-holder represented in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a side-elevation of a candleholder constructed according to a third modification of this invention, the candle, in this figure, is indicated by dotted lines only.

Referring to Figs. 1, and 2, a, a, are clamping arms having a ta ering downward position relatively to eac1 other and the tendency of spreading asunder by their own elas ticity or by the action of a spring or springs. The bent portions 1), of the arms a, are provided with apertures, in a known manner, through which the candle may be introduced when the arms a, a, are pressed towards each other. On releasing the pressure, the said arms (1 will spread asunder, and the candle will be engaged and clamped from opposite sides by the two bent portions b, of said arms a. Thus far the construction is not novel. The candle, thus engaged at a portion of its length by the two clamping arms I), will be held in an upright position but it would be liable to swerve from the vertical position, if the candle-foot is not prevented from shifting to either side. To prevent such shifting of the candle-foot, the two arms a, a, have their edges 0, bent inwards towards the candle and the edge of the candle-foot rests upon the four edges 0, which support the same at four different points placed in a horizontal plane, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, and 2. The four edges 0, are not exactly forced into the material of the candle, as the arms a, have the tendency to spread asunder, but on introducing the candle between the two arms I), a slight downward pressure may be applied, just sufficient to make the supporting edges slightly out into the edge of the candle-foot. It will be easily seen, that candles of any diameter may be readily placed into and held by-the candle-holder of this construction. smaller diameter than that shown in Fig. 1, will find their bearing or supporting points lower down upon the tapering edges 0, and candles of a larger diameter will rest upon the same edges 0, at points farther up.

The arms a, a, may be made integral with the back d, of the same, or they may be secured to springy arms 6, of the back d. By providing tongues e, to the ends of said arms e, and by passing said tongues e, through slits of the arms a, the said arms a, may be secured to the springy arms 6, without riveting or soldering. It will be seen, that an ample free space is left open between the main or back portion of the arms a, and the candle-foot, to allow of a free escape downwards of the' stearin or other material of the candle, which may overflow and run down the shank of the candle.

My present invention is not only applicable to candle-holders of the kind shown in Fig. 1, having springy arms with the tendency to move apart, but also to other constructions, such for instance, which clam the candle between arms having the tencf ency to move against each other by their own elasticity or under the action of a spring or springs, and equally to such candle-holders havingrigid supporting standards and clam ing devices carried by said standards.

In igs. 3, and 4:, I have illustrated my invention applied to a candle-holder of the latter kind, consisting of clamping springs f, arranged parallel to each other and guided within rigid standards a, a. On pressing the opposite ends of the pair of springs f, towards each other, the said springs will spread asunder between the standards a, a, and the candle may be readily introduced between them. On releasing the pressure, the said springs f, will close up and clasp the candle between them, to hold the same in the upright position. For securing the Vertical position, shifting of the candle-foot is prevented by the edges c, of the standards a, said edges 0, being bent towards the candle and shaped to taper downwards, as shown in Fig. 3. The candle-foot, accordingly, finds its bearing support upon the four edges 0, the contact or bearing points being located Candles of aat a more or less elevated position, as the diameter of the candle is larger or smaller.

The modification of this invention illustrated by Fig. 5, is essentially of the kind described with reference to Figs. 1, and 2, the two clamping arms a, a, of the candle-holder being springy and engaging the candle from opposite sides by means of the loops b. The difference of this modification from that described with reference to Figs. 1, and 2, consists in that the tapering springy arms a, are formed by wires, the said wires furnishing by themselves the edges required for supporting the edge of the candlefoot, which latter, according to the size of its diameter, finds its bearing points higher up or lower down upon the four wires.

I am aware that candle-holders constructed of wires and forming loops, such as b, to clamp the shank of the candle between them, are known, but the wires have not been arranged in a tapering downward position to offer bearing points to the edge of the candle-foot. Candle-holders of the said kind which have become known before, are not applicable for candles of varying size.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a candle holder, the combination, with a pedestal, arms secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom, said arms arranged to embrace the candle out of contact therewith along the medial portion and the edges only presenting upwardly diverging narrow lines of contact with the candle-foot, of arms carried by the first arms to embrace the candle shank to prevent lateral displacement.

2. In a candle holder, the combination, with a pedestal, spring arms secured thereto and upwardly diverging therefrom, said arms hollowed to embrace the candle out of contact therewith in the deeper portion and the edges only presenting knife edge lines of con tact with the candle-foot, of arms carried by the spring arms to embrace the candle shank to prevent lateral displacement.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

ERNST PAUL LEHMANN. Witnesses WOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HAsPER. 

